Suture holder



G. O. DEAN SUTURE HOLDER Jan. 22, 1952 Filed June 3, 1949 MUM! Attorney Patented Jan. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE SUTURE HOLDER Gilbert 0. Dean, Little Rock, Ark.

Application June 3, 1949, Serial No. 96,896

This invention relates to a suture holder and it is primarily an object ot the invention to provide a device of this kind to hold sutures or other strands in bundles or skeins and in a manner whereby sutures or strands may be easily and readily withdrawn without disturbing the remaining sutures or strands of a bundle or skein.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind to be used in the protective storage and preservation of straight pre-cut strands of surgical wire or other types of sutures during the process of sterilization, surgical pack storage. transporation to and from the operating room, and the dispensing of the sutures at the operating table.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind including one or more elongated compartments to house substantially a bunch or skein of sutures or other strands together with a braking means coacting with a. bunch or skein to facilitate removal of a single suture or strand without disturbance of the bunch or skein.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved suture holder whereby certain advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to ,the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of a holder constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a portion being broken away and the suture bunches or skein at one end portion of the device being indicated by broken lines;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the device as illustrated in Figure 1, a portion being shifted from the position in which it is shown in Figure 1 and parts being indicated by broken lines;

Figure 3 is a view in bottom plan of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in top plan of the central portion of the device with the clamping bar in a thrown back or inoperative position and the braking element omitted.

The device as herein embodied is particularly designed for use with bunches or skeins B of metallic sutures or other strands and wherein the strands of each bunch or skein are substantially straight from end to end and entirely free of connection one with another so that a single strand or suture may be withdrawn without disturbing the bunch or skein.

The device or holder as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises an elongated and relatively narrow plate I, flat through the major portion of its length. The opposite extremities of the plate I are turned upwardly, as at 2, on a predetermined curvature. The outer or high end of each portion 2 is continued by a flat extension portion 3 in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the major straight portion of the plate I. The outer margin of the portion 3 is provided with a depending flange 4 to provide a means to facilitate handling of the device and also reinforcing the same against the strain and stress incident to use.

- The central part of each portion 3 is provided with an opening 5 to facilitate the locking of a protective slide S when in its outermost working adjustment along the plate I.

Positioned along a face of the plate I and made rigid therewith, as by welding or otherwise as may be preferred, are two series of tubes 5, the tubes of each series being herein disclosed as four in nnumber although this may be varied as the requirements of practice may dictate.

One series of tubes extends from a point closely adjacent to the inner terminal of a curved portion 2 and terminates at a point closely adjacent to the transverse center of the plate. The second series of tubes is similarly arranged upon the opposite portion of the plate I. The tubes 6 of each series are spaced apart transversely of the plate I and substantially in parallelism, while each tube 6 of one series is longitudinally alined with a tube 6 of the other series. The tubes '6 of each series are preferably co-extensive in length with their extremities substantially alined in a direction transversely of the plate. The inner ends of the tubes 6 of one series are spaced, as at I, from the inner ends of the tubes 6 of the other series and all of such spaces 1 are alined transversely of the plate I.

The plate I and the end portions 2 are of a combined length in excess of the length of the bunches B of sutures or the like and in practice a single bunch B is inserted through a longitudinally alined pair of tubes 6. The combined length of the alined tubes Ii plus the space 1 therebetween is less than the length of the bunch B, so that when the bunch is positioned in two aligned tubes 6, the extremities thereof extend 3 outwardly beyond the outer ends of the tubes 6 a distance sufficient for ready and convenient withdrawal of a single strand of the bunch at either end of the device.

To facilitate the withdrawal of a single strand from a bunch B, a braking element E is employed. The element E is herein disclosed as an elongated member 8 of cotton felt or other desired compressible material. The member E is of a length approximately the width of the plate I and of a width substantially equal to the length of the space i between the inner ends of the longitudinally alined tubes G. The element E is also of an initial thickness approximating the outside diameter of the tubes 6 although of course this may be varied within certain limitations.

Coasting with the applied element E is a clamping and pressure bar 9 of substantially the same length as the element E and adapted to press down thereon to assure sufficient functional or breaking contact of the element E upon the portions of the applied bunches B extending across the space I.

One extremity of the bar 9 is provided with a lateral extension arm [I] having pivotal hinge connection, as at I l with a side margina1 portion of the plate I. The opposite extremity of the bar 9 is provided with a latch arm 62 disposed in the same general direction as the arm ID. The free extremity of the arm I2 is provided with an inwardly directed button I4 which engages under the marginal portion of the plate I to lock the bar 9 in clamping and pressing position upon the element E. As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, the arms I and I 2 are each of a length to assure the bar 9 having effective engagement entirely along the outer face of the element E when the bar 9 is in locked position with respect to the plate I.

Each of the slides S, as herein disclosed, comprises a rectangular plate I5 freely riding along a series of tubes 6 and having its side margins defined by the flanges I6 disposed toward the plate I and terminating in inwardly directed flanges I! closely underlying the plate I whereby the slide is held in working position. The outer end margin of the plate I5 carries an outstanding flange I8 to facilitate desired shifting of the slide S along the device to and from effective working position.

The outer end margin of the plate I5 has pressed therefrom toward the plate I, a button I9 or the like. As the slide S is shifted into protective position, the outer end portion of the plate I5 closely rides over the adjacent portion 3 of the plate I until the button IS springs into the openin 5 which constitutes a keeper socket. When the slide S is in this position the flanges I1 have tight frictional contact with the plate I.

All of the part of the device as herein comprised, with the exception of the element E, are made of rustless, non-corrosive stainless steel or such other material as may be suitable for the storage of strands that are to be used for surgical purposes.

It is also believed to be apparent from the foregoing, that the slides S are readily shiftable back and forth over the outer extremities of the tubes 6.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that suture holders constructed in accordance with my invention are particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which they may be assembled and used.

I claim:

1. A holder for a bunch of sutures or other strands comprising an elongated member having an end portion angularly disposed and providing a high part beyond a face of said member, a tubular element rigid with the face of the elongated member on the face thereof beyond which the angular end portion is directed, said tubular element having an outer open end terminating short of said angularly disposed portion, said tubular element being formed to receive a bunch of strands, and a protective slide connected to the elongated member for movement therealong, said slide having one position in which it bridges the space between the open end of the tubular member and the high part of the angular portion of the elongated member.

2. A holder as set forth in claim 1, with means for releasably locking the slide in its outermost position.

3. A holder as set forth in claim 1. with means for retarding the withdrawal of the strands from the bunch within the tubular element.

4. A holder as set forth in claim 1, with a braking element for contact with a bunch of strands after the strands are inserted within the tubular element, and means carried by the elongated member for holding the braking element in contact with the bunch.

5. A suture holder comprising a long fiat plate, a pair of end aligned spaced tubes fixed lengthwise on one face of the plate, the spaced opposed ends of the tubes and an outer end of one tube being open, the plate at the end thereof adjacent to the said outer end of the one tube being extended a substantial distance beyond said outer end and angled upwardly across and in spaced relation with the said outer end of the tube, a suture holding bar disposed across the plate over the space between the opposed ends of the tubes, means for removably securing the bar in such position across the plate, a compressible material lying in said space across the plate between the latter and the bar, and a cover means slidable on the plate over the said outer end of the one tube and engageable with the free end of the upwardly angled portion of the plate.

6. A suture holder as set forth in claim 5, wherein said bar is hinged at one end to a side edge of'the plate, and means at the other end of the bar for frictional engagement with the o her side edge of the plate.

GILBERT O. DEAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 616,814 Sutphin Dec. 27, 1898 1,545,730 Benson July 14, 1925 2,176,452 Chofiel Oct. 17, 1939 2,446,383 Motz Aug. 3, 1948 

